Canberra Olympic coach says A-League second division can work

Canberra Olympic coach Frank Cachia has thrown his support behind the Association of Australian Football Clubs' plans for a national second division.

The AAFC formed earlier this year after almost every National Premier League club in the country signed up to demand a seat at the Football Federation Australia table.

Their priority is to create a nationwide second tier competition which would service the A-League in a promotion-relegation format.

The AAFC believe it could be set up as early as the 2018-19 season but whether it will be a national league or a two conference system is yet to be determined.

Olympic have featured in the past two FFA Cups, including a dream run to the semi-final last year when they hosted A-League powerhouse Sydney FC.

Cachia backed the concept but said only if the proper framework is put in place to ensure the competition is sustainable.

"You've got to be very cautious it doesn't drive a club or a federation to the wall trying to fund it and that's where we've got to be smart about it," Cachia said.

"They'd have to have regional conferences to make it cost-efficient and as long as all the planning is in place a and there is a good structure and processes, then it can only be a good thing for football.

"But any club that goes into it has to be prepared to go into the A-League, there's no point going in and finishing first and then not being able to be promoted."

Cachia said a Canberra team would need to be well-backed to have any chance of succeeding but acknowledged it could be done with the right support.

"You're up against some big hitters in there, if you went in you'd have to go in trying to win it, there's no point going in trying to make up the numbers," Cachia said.

"You have to go in with belief and attract the best players you can both locally and outside of Canberra, you'd have to run it like you would an A-League side to make that next step.

"That's what it's there for but even if you didn't win it the fact you'd be putting your players on the national stage on a much more consistent basis is another positive.

"It gives those A-League sides a much better opportunity to have a look at these guys and see if they can perform on this level and if they could work with them and develop them to full-time professionals."

Cachia said a second-tier would keep underperforming A-League clubs accountable and added if it was played in conjunction with the top flight it wouldn't dilute the NPL competitions.

"There is a real benefit here because ith teams pushing for promotion it would keep A-League sides on their toes," Cachia said.

"A-League teams towards the back end of last season at the bottom of the ladder there was no visible change in the way they approached games because there was no ramifications for them finishing last.

"If they played it over summer then it wouldn't effect any local competitions, it would actually enhance them because more players would be striving to make that side the following season.

"Especially for the younger guys coming through, it gives them a much clearer pathway and a much more localised vision that they can make a career out of the game."

Meanwhile, Canberra United will begin their first National Youth League campaign against the Western Sydney Wanderers away on November 19.

United will play the eight-game regular season in a conference with the Wanders, Sydney FC, Newcastle Jets and Central Coast Mariners, which wraps up on January 27.